Collapsible cart



Mamh 9, 1948 M. HOCHRON COLLAPSIBLE CART Filed Feb. 18, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. FMtan HQQW ATTORNEYS Man-ch M48.

' M. HQCHRON COLLAPSIBLE CART Filed Feb. 18, 1947 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Wham Hmhemn ATTORNEYS Patented Mar. 9, 1 948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE CART Milton Hochron, New York, Y. t Application February 18, 1947; Serial 729,233

3 Claims. (01. 280-36);

My invention relates to a new andim-proved collapsible cart of the type which can be used for shopping and for various other purposes.

According to my invention; the device can be easily manufactured and assembled at low cost, and it collapses into very small space when not in use.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be stated in the annexed description and drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment thereof. p

Fig. l is a front elevation of the device with its body in extended or set-up position.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig.1, partially in vertical section.

Fig.3-is'a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig, 3.

Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the various parts of the body in the same horizontal plane.

Fig. 6 is similar to Fig. 5, showing the first step in the foldin of the body portion.

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of the device in its collapsed position.

As shown in Fig. 5, the device comprises a rear frame F which is provided with a cross bar I. The rear wall 2 of the body is rigidly fixed to the bottom portion of frame F. Said rear wall 2 has vertical and rearwardly extending channels adjacent its vertical edges. A transverse shaft S is fixed to frame F, below the bottom edge of rear wall 2. Wheels W are turnably mounted on shaft S. The bottom wall 3 of the body is tumably connected to the rear wall 2 of the body, by means of hinges H. The rear edge of bottom wall 3 is located above shaft S, and bottom wall 3 turns relative to rear wall :2, wholly independently of shaft S. The front wall 4 of the body is connected to said bottom wall 3 by other hinges H. These walls 2, 3 and 4 are rectangular. The width of the bottom wall 3 is equal to the width of the front wall 4, and said width is less than the'width of the real wall 2. The drawings are substantially to scale and reference is made thereto for further details. The respective side walls 5 and 6 are turnably connected to the front wall 4, by means of respective hinges H. The side walls 5 and 6 are respectively provided with legs 5a and Ba.

When the respective walls 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 are in the same plane, as shown in Fig. 5, either one of the side walls 5 and 6 can be folded inwardly so as to overlie the inner face of the front wall 4, and the other side wall can then be turned inwardly so that said side walls 5 and 6 are then located in overlapping relation. Thus, Fig. 6 shows that the side Wall 6 inwardly, and that the sidewall 5 has then been turned inwardly-soas'to overlap the side wall 6. In Fig. 6, a portion of the representation of the side wall 5 has been omitted, in order clearly to show a part of the sidewall 6. This overlapping of side walls 5 and 6 their prevents any relative turning movement between the bottom wall 3 and front wall 4 and the overlapped side walls 5 and 6. The bottom wall 3, can then be turned upwardly in. unison with the walls 4, 5 and 6,

until the walls 3, i4, 5 and 6 are located between the v'ertical bars of the frame F. The rear Wall 2 is of U-shaped transverse cross-section, and its planar part is locatedsubstantially at the rear 1 edge of the frame F, so thatall the Walls 2+6inmusive are'located 'betwee'nthefront and rear edges of the frame F when the body of the device is fully collapsed.

The Walls can thus be maintained in such collapsed position by any suitable means. Thus, Fig. 1 shows a clip I which is turnably connected at 8 to the cross bar I. When said clip I is turned down, as illustrated in Fig. 7, the walls 3, 4, 5 and 6 are releasably held to the cross bar I. The side Walls 5 and 6 then extend above the rear wall 2, and the bottom part of one of the side walls then abuts rear wall 2.

In order to use the device, the side walls 5 and B are turned until they are parallel to each other, and the rear edge-portions of said side walls 5 and 6 are then located in the channels 2a inwardly of the vertical bars of the frame F. In such position, the legs 5a and Ba are at the same level as the bottoms of the wheels W, so that the set-up device can be conveniently supported in vertical position,

Each of the side walls can be made of sheet metal or other material which is either resilient or rigid. In order to reinforce the bottom wall 3, said bottom wall 3 is preferably associated with a continuous and rectangular rod 9. Said rod 9 is located at the top surface of the bottom wall 3, and said rod 9 is held fixed to bottom wall 3 by bent-over flanges l0 which are provided at the respective edges of the bottom wall 3.

Each hinge H between the rear wall 2 and the bottom wall 3 consists of an extension of said rear wall 2, which is bent around the respective part of the rod 9, so that said respective part of the rod 9 acts as a hinge pintle.

Similarly, a respective leg or part of the rigid rod 9 serves as a hinge pintle for providing the turnable connection between the bottom wall 3 and the front wall 4. The top edge 4a of the has initially been turned" side walls and so that said hinges turnably' grip respective parts of rods 9a. Each leg 5a and 6a is reinforced by a plate P which is fixed by rivets to the respective side wall.

When the device is set up, ably engages the rear wall 2, as shown in Fig 4.

Since the side-Walls 5 and 6 cannot turn-relative to front wall 4, because ofthe engagement each hook 912, ,releas-r allel to each other, and the rear edges of said side of said side-walls 5 and B in channels 2a, the body f is held securely but releasably in set-up position.

I have shown a preferred embodiment of my inventi n. but it is clear that numer u chan es and omissions and additions andsubstitiitions can be made. without. departing from its scope.

I claim: l V V l, A collapsible cart which. comprises a rear frame; wheels turnably connected to the bottom portion of said rear iram'e, a rear. body wall which is. fixed to said rear frame, a bottom body wall. turnably gconnected to. said rear. frame. at

the bottom thereof, the. width of said. bottom wall being less than the width of said rear wall, a frontwall-turnably connected to thefront edge of said bottom wall, said bottom walland. said front, wall being of equal width, side .wallsturn.-

ably connected to said front wall at. its vertical edges, said side walls. being, of less width than said bottom wall and said front wall, said side 4 walls being turnable in overlapping relation against the inner face of said front wall, said side walls having legs in the same planes as said side walls at the corners between said front wall and said bottom wall, said bottom wall and said front wall being turnable relative to each other into the same plane, said legs overlying the inneriace of said bottom wall when said side wallsare turned to said overlapping relation, said bottom wall-being turnable relative to said rear wall to a position in which one of said overlapping side walls abuts the inner face of said rear wall, means to hold said rear walls assembled with said other walls, said walls forming a box l'ike strncture when said side walls are parwalls abut said rear wall, said legs then depending below said bottom wall at the front corners of said bottom wall to serve as a supplementary support to hold said box-like body in upstanding position, and connecting means which connect said side wal-ls to said rear wall when said side wallsare parallelto each other in order to maintain said box-like structure.

2. A collapsible cart according to claim 1, in which said rear wall has rearwardly extending and vertical channels, the rear edge-portions of said side walls being, located in said channels when, said side, walls are parallel to each other,

3. A collapsible cart according to, claim 1, in which said connectingmeans are hook members which are secured to saidside walls, said hook members embracing said rear wall when said side walls are parallel to each other. v I v H 7 TON HOCHRON. 

